Automobile cooling system



March 24, 1959 v R. o. STROMBERG 2,878,794

I AUTOMOBILE COOLING SYSTEM Filed July 29, 195'? I I I a INVENTOR. RAL PH O STROMBERG PARKER (S CARTER ATTO RNEYS United States Patent AUTOMOBILE COOLING SYSTEM Ralph D. Stromberg, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 29, 1957, Serial No. 674,692

6 Claims. (Cl. 123-4127) My invention relates to improvements in automobile cooling system and has for one object to provide a permanently closed automobile cooling system wherein expansion and contraction of the coolant responsive to pressure and temperature change may take place without the introduction of ambient air into the system.

My invention is especially well adapted to pressure vent, types of internal combustion engine cooling systems Where ambient air is introduced into the cooling system each time the coolant contracts as the engine cools but it can also be used in connection'with full pressure systems and also non-pressure systems. It can also be used with any of the before-mentioned types of cooling systems when they are filled completely with coolant, in which case coolant will flow to and from the reservoir upon expansion and contraction or when as they are now normally filled to within one and one-half inches below the bottom edge of the filler neck, then the displaced air or vapor will transfer to the reservoir upon expansions of the coolant, and will return to the system upon contraction of the coolant. In the latter case, the system is equally well protected against contamination and evaporation as in the former case, because it is always the same air or vapor in the system and not ambient air.

In general, I propose to associate with the usual type of internal combustion pressure vent engine cooling sys tem an expansible, contractable reservoir which, when the system in first filled, will be empty but which will, as the engine heats up and the coolant expands, receive the displaced coolant or air and will when the engine stops and the temperature falls, return the coolant to the working part of the system so that the system can breathe in and out, expand and contract, between maximum and minimum pressures and minimum pressures might even be below atmospheric without loss of coolant and without entrance of ambient air.

It has been found that water will increase its volume about one-twenty-third when heated from 50 to 180 and since the largest of automobile cooling systems is approximately twenty-three quarts, one quart of coolant or'air is normally displaced each time the engine is brought up to the normal operating temperature of 180. However, I propose the reservoir could have half again .01 even double this capacity to take careof the coolant or air that might be displaced when operated at temperature outside of this range. This same size reservoir could also be used with automobiles of lesser cooling'system capacities.

It is well known that a pressure type of cooling system when filled to the proper level, and operated at the same outside temperatures may almost be called a sealed cooling system, that is, air will not normally be expelled or introduced into the system. However, because of outside temperature variations and engine operating temperature variations such as when driving slow in heavy trafl'ic, the coolant will expand to varying degrees and possibly unseal the pressure valve thereby expelling air from the 2,878,794 Patented Mar. 24, 1959 ice 2 system. Then upon cooling, this displaced air ihust be replaced by ambient air to prevent the possibility of the cooling system collapsing because of the vacuum that would otherwise be created.

This type of cooling system while having the advantage of expelling and introducing less ambient aii than the pressure vent, or the non-pressure types of cooling systems has as a distinct disadvantage the fact that it will pressurize each time the engine is started and warmed up and with the higher pressure systems of today, this causes undue strain to the various component parts of the system such as hoses, radiator, tank, etc.

Therefore, recently there has been introduced to the automotive field the pressure vent type of cooling system. This system will afford the protection of a full pressure "system but will not pressurize under normal driving conditions. It will pressurize when the rate of approximately .4 of a cubic foot of air per minute is expelled from the system. The pressure can then go to whatever the radiator cap is made for, perhaps fifteen pounds per square inch. This rate of flow will be reached when the coolant is at or near the boiling point. It may be stated that the purpose of pressurizing a cooling system is to raise the boiling point of the coolant. For each pound of pressure applied, the boiling point will be raised 3. Therefore, at sea level the coolant under fifteen pounds pressure per square inch will boil at 257 instead of 212 and thereby afford greater engine protection from overheating.

This system has as a distinct disadvantage the fact that ambient air is introduced into the cooling system each time the engine is started and stopped. Therefore, this pressure vent type of system is particularly suited to my invention as it will operate normally and will not admit ambient air into the system.

The advantages of a sealed cooling system are many.

' Antifreeze when protected against evaporation, oxidation and contamination should last indefinitely. Radiators will not need to be filled with water, possibly containing mineral deposits, to replace water lost by evaporation. Water containing mineral deposits are a major cause of cooling system failures. These minerals tend to restrict the flow of coolant through the radiator tubes and also to coat and so insulate the radiator tubes, thereby lowering the heat conductivity of these tubes.

My invention could eliminate the necessity of so-called spring and winter change-overs since the advent of Multiviscosity engine oils and other lubricants. The only remaining recommended change-over is flushing and refilling the cooling system. My invention could eliminate this needless expense.

' My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein I have shown diagrammatically that part of the engine cooling system which embodies my invention.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and claims.

The usual automobile engine filler throat is shown at 1. It is closed at the top by an apertured plate 2, the aperture being defined by a sleeve 3, extending downwardly from the plate 2, there being an inwardly extending flange 4. These parts are all integral and usual tothe automobile engine industry. The plate 4 is apertured to define the usual port 5. The filler cap sleeve 6 is socketed in the throat, being soldered or pressed or otherwise attached as indicated. It is flanged at the top as at 7 to interlock with the usual filler cap 8 and is apertured at one side as indicated to register with the overflow pipe 9.

Extending downwardly from the cap 8 is a sleeve 10, flanged at the bottom as at 11. 12 is a valve ring encircling the sleeve 10 and resting on the flange 11, being held thereagainst by the pressure relief spring 13. The valve ring 12 carries the centrally apertured valve disk 14 compressed by the spring 13 through the valve ring 12 against the seat 15 defined by the inwardly flanged sleeve member 6 so that pressure in the throat I will be maintained until pressure is sufiicient to overcome the spring 13, when escape can take place through the duct 9.

A valve cap 16 is carried bythe stem 17 whichextends upwardly into the interior of the sleeve and is provided with an abutment plate 18. A spring 19 abutting on the sleeve 20 on the valve disk 14 tends to hold the valve cap 16 against the underside of the valve 14 so that escape from the interior of the sleeve past the valve cap 16 through the sleeve 20 and port 22 to the area communicating with the exhaust 9 is prevented but pressure in the interior of the sleeve 6 greater than that of the throat I can unseat the valve cap 16 to permit entrance into the air associated with the sleeve.

The usual overflow pipe is cut away and communicates with the hose 23, which in turn discharges through a gooseneck 24 to a pipe 25, loosely enclosed in a perforate sleeve 26. The perforate sleeve 26 penetrates an expansion bag 27 of any suitable elastomeric material, there being a slot down to the sleeve 26 and the bag 27. The

bag 27 may be hung at any suitable place under the automobile hood by pins 28 and this valve may expand and contract as will hereinafter appear.

At the top of the sleeve 20 is an arrangement substantially identical to the arrangement of the filler cap previously disclosed and the exhaust pipe 9a communicates with a hose 29 which in turn discharges through the usual overflow pipe 30. The valve cap arrangement, the sleeve arrangement and the throat are to all intents and purposes the same, 26a at its upper end being the equivalent of throat I.

When the automobile cooling system is filled to the usual point, the cap 8 and the cap 8a are installed in the usual manner. Then when the engine starts and heats up,

the air or vapor in the cooling system will as pressure builds up, lift the valve 14 against the spring 13 and pass through the duct 9. the hose 23, the gooseneck 24 and the pipe 25 through the apertures 31 to the bag or pressure vessel 27. As pressure rises, the cooling liquid expands and some will also enter the bag 27. Thus heating of the engine coolant will displace coolant from the radiator en gine cooling system and lodge it in the expansion sack or receptacle 27 without any loss of coolant from the entire system.

When the engine cools down and the coolant and the vapor shrinks and pressures drop in the engine, this will cause a reverse flow of liquid and gas from the bag 27 back to the interior of the sleeve and back past the valve cap 16 so that the material misplaced from or expelled to the direct cooling system will be returned to the cooling system for reuse but none of the contents of the system will have been exposed to ambient air and none of the contents of the system will have been lost.

If overheating should occur beyond that which the bag 27 can take, then and then only will there be a flow downwardly through the pipe 9a, the hose 29 and the discharge pipe 30. 'If that should take Place or if for any other reason the engine on cooling needed more than the contents of the bag 27, air can enter through the valve 16a into the tube 26 and thence through the hose 23 to tube 29, past valve 16 back to the engine.

It is necessary that the pressure relief cap associated with the expansible reservoir be set to open at a much lower pressure than the pressure relief valve in the cap associated with the radiator itself.

I claim:

cooling system of fixed capacity and adapted to contain a liquid coolant, a pressure controlling valve adapted to open to permit escape of coolant when a predetermined pressure has been reached, an expansible receiver, a connection between it and the discharge side of the pressure relief valve whereby fluid passing through the valve may enter the receiver, there being a return passage past the valve between the receiver and the cooling system whereby as the engine cools, fluid may return from the receiver to the cooling system.

2. In combination with a pressure control valve cap for an internal combustion engine cooling system, an expansible receiver, a connection between it and the discharge side of the cap adapted to conduct fluid discharged through the cap to the receiver and means in the cap to permit reverse flow of fluid from the receiver to the cooling system through the cap as the engine cools.

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine cooling system of the pressure vent type of fixed capacity adapted to contain a liquid coolant, a pressure vent valve and a pressure relief valve, the pressure relief valve adapted to open to permit escape of coolant when a predetermined pressure has been reached, the pressure vent valve being normally open, an expansible receiver, a connection between it and the discharge side of the pressure vent valve whereby fluid passing therethrough may enter the receiver and may return through the pressure vent valve as the engine cools.

4. In combination with an internal combustion engine cooling system adapted to contain a liquid coolant, an expansible receiver, a connection between the cooling system and the receiver, pressure relief means in said connection adapted to permit fluid flow from the cooling the engine cools.

5. Incombination with an internal combustion engine cooling system of fixed capacity and adapted to contain a liquid coolant, a pressure controlling valve adapted to open to permit escape of coolant when a predetermined pressure has been reached, an expansible receiver, a connection between it and the discharge side of the pressure relief valve whereby fluid passing through the valve may enterthe receiver, there being a return passage past the valve between the receiver and the cooling system whereby as the engine cools, fluid may return from the receiver to the cooling system, a pressure relief valve for the receiver independent of the connection between the receiver and the cooling system.

6. In combination with a pressure control valve cap for an internal combustion engine cooling system, an expansible receiver, a connection between it and the discharge side of the cap adapted to conduct fluid discharged,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,985,198 Williams Dec. 18, 1934 

